What is the best way to transport a cosplay to convention?

[whatever6]

I want to go to Gamescom in Germany this year. There is a separate area for cosplay. It would actually be my first cosplay con ever, so I don't quite know how it usually works.

My question is how best to transport my cosplay to the convention? My cosplay is relatively big and bulky it is the Doom Slayer:

Spoiler: Photo

(see my build thread)

I think I will definitely sweat underneath, which is why I would not like to put the cosplay on beforehand.
With a lot of skill, I could put it in a larger travel suitcase with wheels. The question is whether you can get in with such a big suitcase or whether the security staff will not allow it?

I don't want to wear my cosplay all the time. So my plan is to get in with the suitcase, put the cosplay on and then, when I don't feel like it any more, take off the cosplay and put it back in the suitcase so that I can go and see other things at Gamesom without cosplay.

I have a ticket, which expires as soon as I leave the convention, so I have to stay at it with my cosplay the whole time. Otherwise I would have stowed it in my car, but I don't see any better solution than the travel case. Do you think that makes sense too? How are you guys managing your cosplay? Do you wear it all the time no matter what?

 

[Asgardianhammer]

Please check the Armor Totes 101 thread
Armor Totes 101

 

[whatever6]

Please check the Armor Totes 101 thread
Armor Totes 101

Thanks for the link, these totes are looking cool, especially when painted. It would definitely look better than a normal travel suitcase.
But I guess I will try to use my travel suitcase and see if the security of the convention let's me go in with it (the security is my main concern).

 

[Cadet]

So, it sounds like you are asking how to bring your costume to the convention and what to do with your costume while you are not wearing it and want to walk around not in Costume?

I am not sure how it works at GamesCon in Germany specifically, but I can tell you that at the majority of the Conventions here in the United States that unless you are playing some role at the convention, volunteering or have a table or booth or are an exhibitor, you are on your own for your costume. Most conventions do not have public changing or storage areas. Most attendees suit up at their car in the parking area and wear their costume in, and have to go back to their car to take it off and store it if they do not want to wear it any longer, or they change in their hotel room of the place they are staying, usually attached or right by the place where the convention is held. Very rarely do some conventions have a "Coat Check" system and will hold your belongings.

I know you said that your ticket expires, but, I can not imagine a convention that has a No Re-Entry policy. Your Ticket might only be good for that one day, but I have never attended a convention that had a single entry policy. Most places exchange the ticket you bought a head of time for a badge or wrist band that you show to get in. You might have to go through security again, but you are allowed to re-enter if you leave as long as you still have your badge or wrist band.

247District or another member of the Euorpean Regiment staff might have more experience with GamesCom specifically and can tell you what they do with their costumes and whether or not the convention allows for re-entry, so that you can change at your car and go back in.

 

[whatever6]

Cadet Yes you understood my problem.

Thank you for your answer and your experiences with other conventions. I already thought that this is how most cosplayer deal with their costume, but I rarely found anything about that topic online.

I really wish I could go to my car to store the cosplay, but the problem is that GamesCom in Germany is the biggest gaming convention in the world (around 370,000 visitors came last time). That's why the tickets are only valid once, so that when you leave, there's more room for others who want to get in. Otherwise it would get too crowded. I mean there is an even more expensive ticket that would allow you to go back in, but it's not worth it for me.

Well sucks to hear, that I will need to sweat or carry the cosplay around with me :/ But I guess that is just part of being a cosplayer...

 

[Reclaimara]

I was on Gamescom few years ago. From my experience I didn't see or hear any storage lockers or space where you could put your stuff away while you're there.
Basically you have to go there already suit up. If you have a car - suit up next to your car. If you get there by train then still have to get there already in your suit.
You could as well ask some people in Cosplay Village area if you could leave your case in their space (some people/groups have their areas booked to showcase props and cosplays) - but it's just up to them if they'll allow it. Could as well carry the big case with you - but it'll be hard to navigate and walk around.
But the safest way is either go to Gamescom in cosplay or out of cosplay. If you're going there on multiple days you could go once without and then in.
When I was there, luckily I came in a car so I suit up before going in and then was whole day in costume before leaving near evening.
Maybe they changed it but it was like that in 2017. The no re-entry definitely sucks.
I plan on going to Gamescom maybe next year if I'll have my cosplay finished by then - would be great if you'll write how it was.

 

[whatever6]

I have not heard of any storage option either. To ask people from the cosplay village sounds like a good option though. I will keep that in mind.

Walking around with a suitcase might not be easy. But to be honest it will be a lot easier than walking around in my cosplay the whole day ^^.
I really do not know how long I will manage to stay in my cosplay (especially if it will be a hot day), so big respect to you that you were in costume until evening.

If they do not let me in with a suitcase, then I guess I will wear the cosplay the whole day. But there is just a lot of other stuff you can do at the Gamescom beside cosplay, this is why I want to have the option to take it off.

I will write my experience of the Gamescom in this thread

 

[Coreforge]

I don't know about your suit, but how is it to wear without the helmet?
Since the helmet tends to limit ventilation a decent bit, you might be able to wear it for longer without the helmet. If that's the case, leaving most of it on and just taking off your helmet might be a good option to avoid having to carry it around.

 

[whatever6]

I don't know about your suit, but how is it to wear without the helmet?

Well of course it is a lot better. But even without the helmet I am not very mobile. In fact I can not even take off the helmet by myself when I wear the suit ^^'. And I have not tested my foot covers for long distances yet. Taking off the helmet will definitely help and it can be stored in a normal backpack, I just do not know if it is enough. It is not all about the heat, but also about the mobility and ability to do other stuff. You can play a lot of PC and console games at the gamescom. I am not sure if I want to miss out on that, by wearing a cosplay in which these things would not be possible.

Maybe I should just test it out and run around in my suit for a whole day ^^'.
If the convention would not be so far away and expensive I would consider to go there twice. Once with a cosplay and another time without. I just want to test out how it is to be a cosplayer. I do not want to ruin a whole day realizing I hate to wear my cosplay. I do not know if that makes sense but well I guess there is not an ideal solution for my problems

 

[Coreforge]

Would it work to keep the lower body on and only take the upper body off?
You'll still need something to carry it around in, but it should take up less space than the full armor. Maybe you could even keep the arms on and just take off the helmet and chest, but at least from my experience, the forearms can still get a bit annoying.
It's probably also worth testing what gets in the way the most. If you can just wear the armor around a bit at home, you could then see what prevents you from playing games and what doesn't.

 

[whatever6]

I plan on going to Gamescom maybe next year if I'll have my cosplay finished by then - would be great if you'll write how it was.

So I was on the Gamescom yesterday and wanted to give you and maybe others some feedback.

First of all the idea with the travel suit did not work out. I would need about 3 of them to transport my cosplay:

Spoiler

Not even my legs would fit in...

So yeah I would have to wear the cosplay full time.
Yesterday was the hottest day of the weak with up to 33 C° (~ 90 F°). So I was really scared of the heat. But I wore thin sports cloths (spandex) which were pretty good and prevent massive sweating.

The Gamescom in fact has a HUGE wardrobe. It was not mention anywhere online and no one talks about it, but for 3€ you can store anything in the wardrobe and it will be save and you can get it back anytime or when you want to leave. You can even store you whole cosplay there and enjoy other stuff at the Gamescom without cosplay. There are also a lot of changing rooms in the cosplay area, but it is not exactly near the wardrobe so you would have to carry the cosplay to the wardrobe or change before the wardrobe.
But I did not use the wardrobe or changing rooms. I stayed in Cosplay the whole time and as some of you suggested I took a few things off to cool down. I often would take off my helmet and just put it on for photos. Same with my gloves. It helped a lot, but the indoor area is also well tempered.

I had a shotgun for my cosplay but I left it at home, because I was not sure whether I would get in with it. But heard you can ask in advance if it is suitable and I would probably got in. But on the other side it would have bothered me a lot to also carry the shotgun around.

All in all it was a fun day! People were amazed of my cosplay and they took a lot of pictures. Maybe next time I will make use of the wardrobe. But this time I was too exhausted to try out other stuff after walking around in my cosplay for 5 h.

 

[whatever6]

I plan on going to Gamescom maybe next year if I'll have my cosplay finished by then - would be great if you'll write how it was.

So I was on the Gamescom yesterday and wanted to give you and maybe others some feedback.

First of all the idea with the travel suit did not work out. I would need about 3 of them to transport my cosplay:

Spoiler

Not even my legs would fit in...

So yeah I would have to wear the cosplay full time.
Yesterday was the hottest day of the week with up to 33 C° (~ 90 F°). So I was really scared of the heat. But I wore thin sports cloths (spandex) which were pretty good and prevent massive sweating.

The Gamescom in fact has a HUGE wardrobe. It was not mention anywhere online and no one talks about it, but for 3€ you can store anything in the wardrobe and it will be save and you can get it back when you want to leave (but only if you want to leave). You can even store you whole cosplay there, but the wardrobe is at the entry. So after you entered the Gamescom and want to get to the wardrobe again. You would need to leave the Gamescom which eliminates the tickets and you would not get in again. Maybe if you talk with the stuff it is possible to get in again. But it is not design to do so.
There are also a lot of changing rooms in the cosplay area. But I did not use the wardrobe or changing rooms. I stayed in Cosplay the whole time and as some of you suggested I took a few things off to cool down. I often would take off my helmet and just put it on for photos. Same with my gloves. It helped a lot, but the indoor area is also well tempered. My neck fan did the rest when it comes to coolin (really helpful and I can recommend it).

I had a shotgun for my cosplay but I left it at home, because I was not sure whether I would get in with it. But heard you can ask in advance if it is suitable and I would probably got in. But on the other side it would have bothered me a lot to also carry the shotgun around.

All in all it was a fun day! People were amazed of my cosplay and they took a lot of pictures. Maybe next time I will make use of the wardrobe. But this time I was too exhausted to try out other stuff after walking around in my cosplay for 5 h.

 

[PlanetAlexander]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it! I can imagine that 33 C heat scaring you. That's great that Gamescon had a wardrobe area, though it's crazy they don't mention it online because it would make a huge impact to people's costuming decisions - as you have just been through.